Report: Chelsea and Barcelona locked in battle for attacker in high demand | OneFootball

Chelsea are reportedly preparing a fresh move for Kenan Yildiz, the highly rated Juventus forward, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport.

The London club had expressed strong interest in signing the 20-year-old Turkish international during the summer transfer window but were unable to secure a deal at the time.

Now, the Blues are set to reignite their pursuit, though they face competition from Barcelona, who are also closely monitoring the player’s situation.

Meanwhile, Juventus remain determined to keep hold of their talented young star, with ongoing contract negotiations between the club and Yildiz’s father, who also serves as his agent.

Chelsea continue to focus on young, emerging talents

Chelsea’s pursuit of Yildiz shows their continued focus on signing young, high-potential talents as part of the club’s long-term rebuild under Enzo Maresca.

Yildiz has scored two goals and provided four assists for Juventus in eight appearances this season, keeping up his brilliant form from last season.

The 20-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder, winger, or even as a secondary striker, attributes that make him an appealing option for Chelsea.

Under Maresca, the Blues have added versatile players in their attacking line like Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens who can play in a number of different positions.

Juventus have no desire of letting Yildiz leave

Kenan Yildiz of Juventus FC (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)

Juventus view Yildiz as a cornerstone for their future and are eager to fend off external interest by offering him improved terms and assurances about his role in the team.

Adding to the challenge for Chelsea is the fact that Barcelona are also keeping a close eye on developments. The Catalan giants have been tracking Yildiz for some time, seeing him as an ideal addition to their youth-driven project under sporting director Deco.

However, given Barcelona’s current financial constraints, any potential move could depend on player sales.

For now, the ball is in Juventus’s court but if contract discussions stall, Chelsea may yet have the opportunity to make a compelling offer.